tjbrace
Well-Known Member
Sorry for the confusion. My information was meant to be directed to the first post but I failed to include the quote?
Autopilot fitting
- Thread starter mrangry
- Start date
coopec
N/A
I prefer to take expert advice rather than a layman's "general" advice.
"Matt Fries, B&G’s business acquisition manager, advises that customers should also take into account the design and sailing characteristics of their boat when selecting a drive. “A 40-footer with a full keel and an aft-hung barn-door rudder might require a more powerful drive than a 50-footer of the same displacement that has a more balanced rig/keel configuration and a more modern rudder design,” he says.
Modern Sailboat Autopilots
Surely intuition would tell anyone that?
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sailaboutvic
Well-Known Member
You probably got a type 2 motor on that boat . Same as my Moody 42 , the motor arm is fittered on the steering Quadrant , a hole is drilled in the quadrant where the arm fitting is bolted on to .
I'm just up grading mine to a raymarine EV 400 sail which is the right AP for my size boat and your too .
coopec
N/A
What I am saying is that length and displacement of a yacht are poor criteria for use in selecting a suitable autopilot.
Matt Fries, B&G’s business acquisition manager, advises that customers should also take into account the design and sailing characteristics of their boat when selecting a drive. “A 40-footer with a full keel and an aft-hung barn-door rudder might require a more powerful drive than a 50-footer of the same displacement that has a more balanced rig/keel configuration and a more modern rudder design,” he says.
This article is worth reading
Modern Sailboat Autopilots
mrangry
Well-Known Member
I havent bought anything yet. I am asking is it acceptable to bolt the drive unit directly onto the hole on the quadrant as I have read conflicting advice online
pvb
Well-Known Member
They're the criteria which autopilot manufacturers generally quote, as others have also tried to explain to you.
Tell us, which autopilot did you fit?
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
Yes it is acceptable.
If it was possible to fit a separate tiller arm, that would be preferential, but only because it gives you a second method of steering the boat should the quadrant fail.
I have worked on boats where the drive has been sonnected to the quadrant in some way and has been so for many, many years. I recently fitted a Jefa linear drive to my own boat and there is no way to connect it other than to the quadrant. Having no hole, as you describe, i made a plate that fits inside the quadrant and is through bolted, i'd say the plate actually makes the quadrant stronger. The drive pin is bolted through the plate.
sailaboutvic
Well-Known Member
As I said yes you can , mine was factory fitted when the boat was new and that's the way it was fitted
Mikehact
New Member
I have a Beneteau 361 and want to attach a Raymarine Type 1 Linear Drive to the quadrant. Like the B331 there is a standard connection point at the front of the quadarant. The connection point is at a radius of about 8 inches from the centre of the rudder shaft and the T1 installation manual specifies 10 inches radius is required.
Is your quadrant connection point also at an 8 inch radius and is this problematic?
coopec
N/A
Mike
I think a lot of people who have commented previously have moved on. We haven't heard from PVB for about a year (not that you'd take his advice anyway)
Maybe start a new thread more specific to your problem? Maybe "Beneteau 361 fitting autopilot advice needed please"? (Something like that)
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geem
Well-Known Member
How you do it might depend on the kind of sailing you plan to do. If you were planning an Atlantic circuit you might want to consider a separate attachment to the rudder stock. This would give you redundancy should the aluminium quadrant fail. UK coastal sailing where you can pick your weather and assistance is more available you might consider connecting to the existing quadrant ok. I have heard of aluminium quadrant failure on trans Atlantic boats where autopilots have been connected.
I am sure there are lots of yachts that have a quadrant connected autopilot that works fine but they will likely not have been tested in big seas and strong winds day after day
andrewAB
Well-Known Member
I have Bene 343 and connected the Jeffa drive direct to the quadrant. The quadrant was made by Lecomble and Schmitt and I contacted them and said fine to connect direct to my model of quadrant.
The radius is shorter than the 10 inch so more force is required by the ram to provide the same force on the rudder with a 10 inch arm. But as my boat is well under max displacement spec of the ram manufacturer it should be fine.
If crossing big oceans a separate tiller arm to the stock would be ideal but did not look possible on my stock.
The radius is shorter than the 10 inch so more force is required by the ram to provide the same force on the rudder with a 10 inch arm. But as my boat is well under max displacement spec of the ram manufacturer it should be fine.
If crossing big oceans a separate tiller arm to the stock would be ideal but did not look possible on my stock.
ithet
Well-Known Member
The same on my 331 as I mentioned at the top of this thread. Yes the arm length is less than Raymarine spec but the load is very much under than max available. I did consider this issue but the final fit of my drive was done by a Raymarine agent and they were happy.
